Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Men

Sorry about the title. It was originally going to just be "the best laid plans..." but my favorite book came to mind when I started typing it, so I kept typing it. Anyway. The move happened over the weekend, and into Monday with the only thing left now is to clean. I'm thinking that I will wait until the last moment to clean because I have to procrastinate somehow, it's how I roll. And I haven't thusfar, so I figure that's what's got to happen (how's that for terrible grammar?!?!) Anyway, on to my story:

So as many of my reader(s) know, I usually wait until the last minute to book flights for trips and then complain about how much it cost me, and really it's completely and totally my fault. So this particular trip, the 5th(???) Annual Crabfest on Kent Island, Md. on the Chesapeake, I went against the grain if you will, and bought the tickets extremely (for me anyway) early. I bought cheap, cheap, cheap airfare for the trip, which was/is going to begin on the Jersey Shore (if you're not from here, you wouldn't understand.) So I was planning on flying into Philly or Atlantic City, with the former being closer and cheaper on Spirit Airlines. Little did I know that you have to pay to pick your nose on Spirit Airlines, but I digress (I'm trying to include that phrase in each of my revamped blog posts, but I digress...). My original plan was to fly up on Wednesday afternoon, take off work Thursday and Friday, spending time down the shore with the family Wednesday night, all day Thursday and half-day Friday and then drive the expensive as poop rental car to BWI-Thurgood Marshall International Airport on Friday to meet Beef and -ette, and then have FineCheese pick us up for the festivities to begin. Sounds like a great plan, right? I think so too. EXCEPT!!! I get an email yesterday from Spirit talking about my upcoming flight. I was in Daytona, so I didn't really read it, just saw it was there. I thought to myself that Spirit was really proactive in getting me prepared for my flight two days out. Well I get home last night (to the new 1BR SPACIOUS apartment), help the Ex move her big stuff to her new place, and then grab the rest of my stuff from my townhouse and bring it to my new home. I start to unpack dishes, glasses, start the laundry, etc. I decided, for some reason to see what Spirit had to say in their email because I had never flown them before. Mind you, I like to go to sleep by 10:30 or so in order to get my much needed beauty sleep. What I see before me scares the beJesus out of me. It says, plain as day: Departing: Tuesday, August 18. WHAT?!?! I made plans to leave Tampa on Wednesday the 18th, not Tuesday the 18th!!! So I jump to my rental car reservation and see that it says Wednesday, August 19th! Oh crapola. I call Spirit to see if I can't change my flight to Wednesday, so I don't have to take another day off. The fine gentleman on the phone in Agra, India, whose name, appropriately enough was Jason told me that it was going to cost me $220 to change my flight to Wednesday. I politely hung up the phone as fast as I could. My two flights combined, plus half the rental car didn't add up to $220. Now I had to change my rental car reservation because I guess I was leaving today. Can't do it. Says that all of the cars are sold out for Tuesday. UGH!!! To make a long story short, it wasn't until I got someone on the phone at Hertz that I was able to change the reservation to today, but fighting with the voice automated prompts was a battle unto itself, one that if I had a roomie listening or anyone around, probably would have died laughing. I think even it was tired of talking to me and my attempts at changing my reservation.

So here I am. At the Jersey Shore, with my amazing, wonderful parents and brother and sis-in-law, and the neices and nephew. For some reason, and I know why, but I hate admiting it, I am the one who gets put in the most uncomfortable position ("...like in the backseat of a Volkswagon Bug" - Mallrats) everytime we all get together. At my parents place in NJ, I'm on a fouton and I'm too big for it, and my feet hang over the wooden armrests. My feet kill me when I wake up. But mom does it up right and the pillows and comforter almost make up for the feet-ache. This time takes the cake though. I'm sleeping on the bottom bunk of bunk beds. Seriously?!?! Oh yes! That's me. This thing is awesome, and by awesome, I mean oh my goodness, this is uncomfortable. But until there is a little lady that is in my life again, and Mom even said that she could get the top bunk if one were here. I will be the one that will take one for the team and be slightly uncomfy. But I guess after I fall asleep it'll be all for naught until 6:30am when the little'uns awaken. THEN, I will find out what body part aches, and be sure to add it to the next post.

Wow, I just basically complained for an entire post. I apologize for that. Just wanted to share my ineptitude at reading a calendar. I'm sure the 18th was on a Wednesday at some point this year, but not in August apparently.

Looking forward to Friday. Looking forward to the beach tomorrow, although I did walk on it tonight, and the sand was cold and the breeze was full of salt and the waves nice and big. I did draw a line in the sand, but no one was there to cross it. Also, very much looking forward to Friday. Beefette's birthday! and Crabfest. Good night to all.

Song Currently On the Ipod: The Gift - O.A.R.

Moving Day is Nigh...again

So I'm moving on with my life, and moving into a one bedroom, back to where I used to live. Actually right across the hall from where I used to live. Literally, if I were to walk out of my old place of residence, made a quarter turn to the left and took two steps, I'd be in my new place. Citizen and I used to live in a two bedroom, but I figure that I'm 32 and it's time to live on my own and be a grown-up. If I continue to be unlucky in love, I may be in this place for quite some time. It's a great 12-unit complex, where I know everyone, and half of which I play with as well. Half of which were at most of my funny, unfortunate (what-have-you) incidents that filled this blogmosphere for quite some time. So I feel like I'm heading "home." I'm very much looking forward to it, minus the actually moving. I'm downsizing a bit, as far as square footage, but it shant be that much of a difference, as I'm just one man!

(From the woe-is-me category) I was off working in Orlando, FL today. I absolutely love my job. Wish I was a bit more successful at it, as some of our top producers make a lot of money, and I feel like I work as hard as they do, with lesser results. Anyway, today I was out in Orlando doing a pick-up and on my ride over this early, early morning, I started thinking about my family. Now I'm very lucky to have the family I have, no question about it. I was thinking about my mom and dad being married 40 years next June. Wow! That baffled me. Then I started doing math. Never a good thing at 6:30 in the am. I figured out that my parents were 26 when they had Aurilius, and then 30 when they had yours truly. Then my brain stopped working because I have been doing the early morning run to Orlando all week. But I digress. I started thinking that my parents were in their first house fresh out of the matrimonial oath. I believe, they started out in Newark (that's one word for those Delaware residents that make that same spelling into three words somehow), then South Orange, where I was born and lived for eight years, then on to New Providence for the next 10+ years. My point being, they "downsized" as I finished college at age 28. Ok, maybe not that long, but it took me awhile. But at least I can tell prospective students about just about every major at Clemson. I'm downsizing single at 32, with no kids (that I know of) and I'm happy. I mean, I know there's a girl out there for me. But really, I'm in no rush to be "there." I love the companionship. I love the friendship. I love the smooches and squeezes too! For the first time in awhile, I'm content. It's a beautiful thing. Now if I could lose this extra 40 pounds, I'd be the man! Ok, maybe not that far, but you know what I mean. Who am I talking to? I don't know Mr. Blog Thing, just keep jotting down my ramblings please. Thanks.

It's moving day tomorrow. AND I don't pack. I don't do it. How bad is that? 32 years old and have moved now 5 times in 6 years of living in Tampa. 4 of which have been within a 2 mile radius of where I am now, and I refuse to pack things up. Tomorrow afternoon, I plan on loading the faithful soccer mom car and head around the corner to my new abode. Literally, just throwing things into the car, and packing it to the gills and then grabbing as much as I possibly can and walking up the two flights of stairs and worry about it later. Then the big stuff after that with a pick-up truck(we're so southern down here) and then I'll sleep over there tomorrow night without tv, but probably with plenty of adult libations. (hopefully, with minimal to no text messages mixed in.) Saturday should be much of the same, as I try to start the new place off with a bang!

That's all I have for today. Wasn't much, but I'm easing my way back into the groove. Hopefully, with all of the "fun" this weekend, there will be a story or two to tell to put smiles on your faces and the thoughts in your mind, "why are we friends with that guy again?!?!"

Also, please click on the title of this post to go vote for Beefette's something or other on another website so that she and her bridesmaids can get a trip to Florida. It'd be cool to have them down here! If that link doesn't work, go to wanderinglavignes.blogspot.com
HURRY!!! GO!

TGIF!

Delayed

Usually I would probably just follow up that title with a story about flying from Tampa to NJ, only to be diverted to Pittsburgh. I've been to Pittsburgh three times in my life, and yet I've never seen the city. I've seen the airport plenty, but never ventured out. I have been scheduled to be in Pittsburgh NEVER in my 32 years on Earth. But I was meaning to write a blog post Monday. I got that fire back on Sunday on my drive back from ZDP and Bizzle's in Savannah. Hanging with a really cool 14 month old kid! He loves dancing, and answering phones. It was good times. Apparently he woke up early and was fussing around the crib early in the mornings, but I didn't hear a thing. ANYWAY, I digress. I felt like I had so many stories to write, so many tales to tell as I enter a new phase in my life, but then I sat down at the computer and had nothing to tell. So I guess this is what they call writers block. There is a bunch of stuff going on in the world, but I don't have much fun to tell for right now.

This is my promise to both of my readers. I will try to keep this up to date. I will tell silly stories as soon as they happen, or the morning after with maybe a slight headache or what-have-you. So that's where we are. Keep checking back for idiotic stories!

How about Rick Porcello getting charged by Kevin Youkilis last night?!?! I mean, really. I was sitting and Two1stNames house last night and we were watching the highlights of it, and he was about to tell me how much of a typical Seton Hall Prep alumni he was by retreating, AND THEN Ricky P THREW Youk to the ground. The only thing that would've been better for me (a Yankee fan) would have been if Porcello got one good punch to the nose as soon as he got to the ground. That would've been amazing! That's all!

My favorite band of the week: Jack's Mannequin

It's Coming Back...

Yes, you heard that correctly. I'm moving next week into a one-bedroom apartment and the blog will be back in full-force. Ok, maybe not full force, but I will absolutely update this with antics and fun times. It's been eight months since my last post, and I think I have some updating to do for my loyal pleebs. It's coming...Monday!